Breakfast with Santa brings community together
December 4, 2016
Aiyana Goodson, 4, daughter of senior communication studies major LeLonna Goodson, creates jewelry at “Breakfast with Santa” Saturday morning in the McAfee Gym. Though Goodson was originally making a bracelet, the students helping her joked that because she kept adding items to it, it would be more like a necklace, as the bracelet would be too big for her tiny wrist.
Christmas came early for local families and young children in the McAfee Gym as they had “Breakfast with Santa,” courtesy of Delta Sigma Theta.
The gym had tables set up for crafts, where children could make bracelets and ornaments. Food was at one of the tables, along with an inflatable bowling game and the opportunity to take a picture with a man from Omega Psi Phi dressed as Santa Claus.
Children ran around the gym, playing games with each other and crafting with parents and students.
This is the fourth annual Breakfast with Santa put on by Delta Sigma Theta.
Cydne Garrett, a senior marketing major, said the sorority has been working on the breakfast for months.
Ten to 15 families attended the event, with the organizations bringing people with them and students with families of their own who came as well.
Darneshia Coleman, a senior family and consumer sciences major, came to Breakfast with Santa with Eastern’s chapter of the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs, a group which focuses on uplifting black women.
The NACWC had their own craft table, with jingle bell bracelets so “Santa could hear” the children, Coleman said.
She said she likes how the guests were able to eat and spend time with other children their own age.
Aaron McDaniels, a member of mentoring organization Big Brothers Big Sisters, said he took the child he was with to Breakfast with Santa to give him something to do.
“It gets them out of the house and is something different than messing around on a phone or tablet,” McDaniels said.
Malachi McNutt, a senior sociology major, was at the breakfast with his brothers, who are members of Omega Psi Phi.
McNutt said he likes how events like Breakfast with Santa bring communities together.
“It is like a family gathering,” McNutt said.
He said people on Eastern’s campus can talk to each other and get to know each other.
Torri Griffith, a junior journalism major and member of Zeta Phi Beta, sat at a table dedicated to making Christmas ornaments.
Griffith said Breakfast with Santa was a great way to dispel stereotypes about Greek organizations, such as that they only care about partying.
“It gives Greek organizations an opportunity to give back to the community,” she said.
Thomas Wilson, a senior communication studies major who oversaw the inflatable bowling activity, said Breakfast with Santa seemed like a fun thing to do.
He said it brings the community out and the various campus organizations get to meet each other.
“Everyone has fun. Good time, good people, good vibes,” Wilson said.
Samuel Nusbaum can be reached at 581-2812 or at scnusbaum@eiu.edu.
